Two countries that have pioneered legalized mercy killing are taking steps to make euthanasia more accessible for some gravely ill children, adding a new layer to the heated debate over doctor-assisted death.

The Belgian parliament is reportedly on the verge of passing legislation that would allow people under 18 suffering from incurable illness to consent to euthanasia.

Next door in the Netherlands, a national physicians’ group has issued guidelines that say parents’ distress can justify hastening the demise of already dying newborns.

The Royal Dutch Medical Association’s policy applies to babies born with severe congenital defects who have been removed from life support because it was considered futile, Dr. Eduard Verhagen, one of the report’s authors, said Wednesday.

This is too much

Most die within moments of the respirator being turned off, but some will linger, and suffer, as much as a day longer.